The malion language is a soft-spoken, song-like language. There are many soft consonants, as well as hard spoken consonants, but no tongue-rolling. The language is also extremely simple, as it was around long before English, and when written traditionally, it looks like a bunch of symbols and letter-looking digits mixed together. I couldn’t honestly read it myself, nor are there any characters or symbols on the computer which resemble it. What I did in Beneath the Surface, and will throughout all the malion novels, is translate the language into how would read in English, though I am frequently corrected by Rasadian along the way (he’s honestly like a slippery shadow over my shoulder at times, but I know he means well).

So here goes. I’ve included the proper pronunciations in brackets where needed.

Rion (Ryan) — King

Rasadian (Rah-sah-dee-on) — Warrior

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Basshen — adolescent/ teen

Bastvina — guardian

Bornskav — a malion’s home in the above world, usually a cabin in the wilderness

Bruvo (bru-vo) — now

Carvath Shays — a cliff overlooking a bottomless abyss in the Pacific Third, just over 2000 feet underground

Charkon (shar-kon) — son

Chembeas (shem-bay-us) — to worry

Che son tay (sheh-zon-tay) — travel, escape, but in a hurry; it can also mean ‘remove or take away’ when used with neyeveh, which means to be extremely ill or in extreme pain.

Coombidean (coom-bidi-an) — accident / mistake / wrong doing

Cubshen — child

Deedenta — and order / command “I command you…” “He commands…”

Dharkun (dar-kun) — keeper (of a female and their innocence), the malion equivalent of a boyfriend, though the commitment is much higher. As a male, it is truly an honor to be accepted by a female as her dharkun, especially since males outnumber females by a landslide at this point in time (2014). The males work hard to win over a female, and this does not happen easily. There are fathers of these young females to win over as well; that, is also not an easy task. Fathers, obviously, are fiercely protective of their young female cubshen; they are also equally as firm on them, as they want them to grow up to be respectable full-grown malions. Tolerance for poor behavior, mistreating your dharkun and rule breaking is slim to nil in the malion community.

Darveth — daughter

Dom — doorway, entranceway

Ebesha (eh-bay-sha) — precious

*Y’ebesha (yeh-bay-sha) — your/you precious

*M’ebesha (meh-bay-sha) — my precious

Farvenu (far-vah-new) — brave male

Farvenala (far-vah-nah-lah) — brave female

Fenyecka (fen-yeck-ah) — a malion curse word

Feshka — another malion curse word

Forthus — father

Geleshuvan (jell-lesh-von) — bequeathing

Gesanu (guess-ann-you) — strength

Hachka (hash-ka) — an insult, or, when used with “Nee neena” means something close to “Don’t insult my actions” or “How dare you insult me or my abilities”.

Harpaf — large dress or fur coat

Harlenday — best friend

Harkon — help

Havuyen(s) -- parent (s), or guardian figure (s)

Kacksuns (cack-suns) — footwear, usually boot-like, which are handmade, warm and waterproof. Think moccasin, almost, with a place for each toe as a mitten would dress fingers.

Kark — malion curse word

Krighven (cry-ven) — brother

Larsen — large rock or boulder

Leighdur (Lee-dur) — Leader of a third.

Leikshi — (lake-shee) an ancient mythical creature, now extinct, which resembled a miniature deer without horns, most distinguishable from their great brown eyes which can turn blueish/green when they’re startled suddenly, in pain, or not well. Beautiful to look at, but they were too trusting of their predators, and an easy meal therefore.

Levekshun (leh-veck-shun) — depart, abscond, leave, exit

Lorkon (Lor-ken) — the great immortal Creator, God to the malions

Maen (main) — a possessive, as if saying “mine or me”, it can also mean one or single.

Manakacko (man-ah-cack-oh) — donkey/ass also used as a curse word at times

Marvon — feast

Maymus — mother

Nee neena (nee-nee-nah) — the beginning of a negative

Nesfara (neh-far-ah) — female

Nesfaru (neh-far-oo) — male

Neshaviti (neh-sha-vee-tee) — trust

Netka Rhamos — the great golden poisonous spider, symbol of the Vykhars. Thought to have existed as a pet of King Jared when he reigned. Because he wanted help to find and kill malions, it was said that his royal sorcerer and close friend cast a spell on a small spider, turning it into a gigantic golden spider which King Jared would feed those who betrayed him. As King Jared only hunted in the early hours of the morning to surprise his traitors, Netka Rhamos would lead and light his way through the kingdom. The malion cubshen believe the spider still exists, and it works for malion parents to help keep their cubshen from wandering off above without supervision.

Wharla (war-lah) — petal, the human equivalent of a girlfriend, though commitment is higher and expectation of sensakuru usually follows closely behind. By this time, both the dharkun and wharla’s families have met, and welcome the beginning of a possible union. The wharla, at anytime, however, may send her dharkun away, should he miss behave or treat her poorly. This type of this is very shameful for the dharkun’s family. Let’s just say it doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. Yikes!